Separator for storage batteries



March 17, 1925.

E. LUNN n SEPARATOR FOR STORAGE BATTERIES Filed May 1921 Patented E der. ll, 3925i;

we its OF NEW $633, 333'. L,

a coaroaarronr or new some SWARATGB, Fill? BATTER-IE3.

Application file To all whom it may concern:

c it known that l, Ennnsr LUNN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of {look and State of Illinois, have invented a ne provement in Separators. teries, of which the followi and exact description.

' My invention relates to' separators for 19 storage batteries and is particularly applicable to wood separators.

Experience has demonstrated separators are the best particularly in lead butt 5 when the batteries are used in car lighting work as there is less chance that metal short circuits will be formed between positive and negative elements when wood separators are used than when any other kind of separator 20 is employed, such as those made of hard rubber. Wood separators as now furnished are weak and easily broken, especially after they have been in the electrolyte for a few months.

Experience has also shown that the break-- age of separators occurs not only during manufacture, shipment and application to the battery, but also while the separators are in service in the battery and most of all while the batteries are being cleaned. The

breakage usually occurs along a line parallel to the grain of the wood and invariably through the thin web portion of the separator between the ribs. It is usually necessary to discard a majority of the separators of 36 a battery whenever the battery is dis mantled, which occurs at the time the sediment is removed from the cells and the positive and negative groups seoarated. Dismantling of a battery usually occurs at in 40 tervals of eighteen months to two years.

In a sixteen-cell battery there are two hundred twentydour separators costing a proximately twenty cents each. From this it will be apparent that the discarding of a large number or" separators each timethe battery is cleaned entails a considerable upkeep expense. It is an object of myinvention to eliminate this breakage of the separators or at least to reduce it to an ins1g nificant minimum.

A further object is a separator which will be inherently strong enough across the grain to withstand the handling usually received by such separators without breakage even w and usefullmfor Storage Batng is a full, clear,

that wood to use in batteries, eries, and especially Q I after the separator has been subgected for. a

O GGULD STORAGE MTIERY COI- considereble period of time to the electrolyte.

A further object or the invention is such ,a separator as will have the set forth and which can sally. I

A further obg'ect of my invention is a separator which, when placed imposition in the battery,- will allow free circulation of the electrolyte around the positive plates and ample circulation of the electrolyte and escape of gases formed on the negative plate.

My invention will be better understood by properties above be made economlreference to the following description taken in connection with the following drawings, in WhlCl'l- Figure l is a perspective view'of a separator embodying my invention;

. Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line H-H of Figure 1; c i Figure 3 is a cross sectional view on the line HI-III of Figure l; and s Figure l is a side elevation of a separator embodying-a modification of my invention. In the drawing the separator is 'rovided with spacing members 1, four of w ich are usuall employed. These spacing members entend through the entire thickness of the separator and act to hold the plates against buckling. They also provide additional strength where the separatorsrest on the plate supporting ribs. Between the spacing members 1 are ribs 2. Between the ribs 2 and between the spacing members and adjacent ribs is a web portion 3. It will be noted that the ribs 2 are provided on both sides of the web so that two of the ribs and the thickness of the web equal the thickness of a spacing member 1. The separator,- when placed in the battery, occupies a position siinilar to that shownin Figures 1, 2 and 4, that is to say, the spacing members 1 and the ribs 2 are vertical.

As ordinarily constructed without my invention, the separators are made so that the web portion 3 is about webs 2, as well as the spacin members 1 are about all" thick. The ri s 2 are about 1 wide and the spacin about wide. These me somewhat and it i guresgiven Wit be thick and the asurements va above are a h the separator so far seen thatit w ll here-the p r'oximatc only.

of a

s to be understood that the.

g members are escribed it will piece of wood approximately thick. In fact, the actual strength will be less than that because the presence of the ribs and spacing: members adds weight to the separatoi""withoutadding any strength across sufiicient to support the sup extend on a line at right angles to the members l and .ribs 2. In the separator shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 there are three of such ribs numbered at, 5 and (3. These ribs 4, and 6 are preferably provided on one 29 side only 'of the web, as shown in. section in Figures 2 and 3. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the ribs l, 5 and 6 terminate at a short distance below the outside edge or to of the ribs 2.

in placingt-he. separators in the battery, the side of the separator having the ribs 4, and 6 thereon. is placed against the negative plate and the side of the separator having only the ribs 2 and spacing incin- 30 hers 1 thereon, is placed against the positive plate. By this arrangement. space provided for acid circulation and also means are provided for the escape of gras thrown oil by the negative plate during the charge.

35 thus preventing the formation of air pockets. t lsnot always necessary to provide means for acid circi'ilalion on the negative plate, nor is it necessary in all cases to provide means for the escape of gas thrown off by the negative plate, but in many instances this is a useful expedient. There is nothing to prevent the free circulation of the acid in contact with the positive plate so that the capacity of the battery is not interfered with in any manner. v i y The separator shown in Figure 4 is similar that shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 r the exception that the separator in Figure 4 is provided with strengthening ribs 4. 5", 6* and 7, the rib 4* being at one end of the separator and the rib 7 at the other end, and the spacing inembers l of l igure 1 are omitted. This arrangement provides strength at the ends of the separa- "ors and lhus'aids in the prevention oi cracking. The strengthening ribs also perform the function of preventing warping of the plates, in addition to the functions already ascribed thereto. The ribss and 7 may be made the full thickness of the separato'rs.

My invention when embodied in a separator has many advantages. The separator is greatly increznscd in. strength in the regions where strength is most required; that is,

nonsense across the grain in the web. By reason of this increased strength the separators may be more expeditiously handled during the original assembly of the battery and, particularly,during the cleaning or repairing oi the battery than is possiblev'ith a separator not, einbodyini my invention; the circulalion of the acid around the positive plate is not in any manner affected; sufficient circuiation of the electrolyte around the nega tive plate permitted and means is provided for the escape of gas and the prcvcntion oi the formation of air poc ets airund the negativeplate; the separators having the above advantages may be manufactured as economically as Without such advantages; a separator embodying iny'inveution may be made of Wood and does not need to be perforated; separators may be reinstalled in batteries and used over again, thus greatly prolonging the life of the separators. Many other advantages will occur to those skilled in this art and need .not

be recited herein.

*hile I have described my invention in great detail, and have shown two illustrative mnbodinients thereof, I desire it to be un- (lei-stood that I run not liinitedto the embodiment shown and described as many changes in details maybe made therein without departing; from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A separator for storage batteries comprising a single piece of Wood having vertical ribs and a rib atsubstantially right angles to the vertical ribs {or strengthening the separator and arranged to provide channels on the opposite sides of the separator which are parallel with each other, substantially as described.

2. A separator for storage batteries comprising a single piece of wood having when in position vertical ribs and horizontal ribs for strengthening the said separator and arranged to provide channels on the op posite sides of the separator which are par.

allel with each other, substantially as de scribed.

3. A separator for storage batteries comprising a unitary piece of porous material having vertical ribs and a rib at substantiall'y right angles to the vertical ribs forv strengthening the separator, said strengthening rib being arranged to provide channels on opposite sides of the separator, substantially as described.

4. A separator for storage batteries comprising a single piece of porous material having ribs on one side and strengthening ribs at substantially right angles to. said first ribs, said strengthening ribs being arranged to provide channels on opposite sides of the separator, substantially as described.

or A ,separawr for storage batteries comamas? prisinga pice of WOOd having ribs on one side pzu'ulinl with Him: grain wifli intu mw diam bin web pmiim'is'mnl ribs (in tinolbvr side across the grain i'm' sirvuglbuning lbs separator. snbstnnlially as described.

(5. sr mrnt'm' for sim'ngu burn-rim mun prising :1 piece 01' inn having: sparing pun tiuns, ribs bvtwcen sun? sparing illiillil(l and Web pnriiuns bm'wenn said ribs and b0- lwcen hr ribs and spacing: members and strengthening ribs :11 right an 'los to said libs and spacing members, substantially ns described.

7. A. SGPEll'aiJUI' for storugu batteries umprising a. piece of wood baring ribs (in both sidvs extending paruiivl to 110 grain o the wood and Web portions between saidr1 bs and strengthening ribs (in one side extending across the "rain of the wood. said. b

sirvngtbeningr ribs {Pilflilliilillfl :1 liltlig short of tin in}; of the ribs ml that sii'iv nfibn svparatur, snbsLaniiaiiy us dnscribvii.

A separator for slur-agrbnilurivs mmr prising a fibrous member baring ribs ibvrw ma :u'laptcd In vxtend vertically when said sopurutm' is 5:: position in a ballvry, wvb pqrtions bvtwuvn said. ribs and strvngtvben ing: ribs adapted to extend boriznntalrv when said separainr is in position in a battery, Lhu trips of said strengthening ribs torminut ing short of the {ups of said ribs. substantially as dvscrilxad.

In testimonp whereof, 1 1mm hereunto set my hand.

ERNEST LU N N 

